Final answer:
Hearts should be transported to a processing facility at a temperature of 4°C to preserve their viability, using methods of controlled hypothermia similar to those employed in medical procedures to slow metabolic rates and reduce damage to the organ. Option C is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
When transporting hearts to a processing facility for transplantation, maintaining an appropriate temperature is critical to preserve the organ's viability. Controlled hypothermia is utilized to decrease metabolic needs and reduce the risk of damage to organs, such as during open-heart surgery or after a patient has suffered cardiac arrest.
During open-heart surgery, the heart is stopped and the body's temperature is cooled to 25-32°C, while the heart itself is maintained at a temperature below 15°C. For transportation, the goal would be to keep the organ similarly cold to slow cellular metabolism and preserve its condition.
Therefore, the correct answer to the question of what temperature hearts should be transported to the processing facility is c. 4°C. Keeping the heart on ice ensures it remains at a temperature similar to what is used during controlled hypothermia in medical procedures.
Ice typically is at 0°C, which is in the range of temperatures (0-15°C) that psychrophiles thrive in, and sufficient for keeping the organ under transplant-appropriate conditions. This strategy is essential to maintain the heart in the best possible condition until it can be transplanted.